December 2013 Practice Newsletter
December 2013 Practice Newsletter
For thousands of years, the tongue has been used in traditional Chinese Medicine to help diagnose certain health conditions. As dentists we look at it too for signs of change that could indicate oral cancer.
Next time you are brushing it clean with your toothbrush why not take time to see if your tongue is trying to tell you something.
PALENESS: could indicate some form of anaemia
THICK COATING: can be a sign of excess mucus. Advice is to reduce dairy consumption.
Remember it’s a good oral hygiene measure to brush the tongue twice a day after your teeth to remove debris and so reduce bad breath.
CRACKS: dietary deficiency or stress
INFLAMMED TIP: in chinese medicine this is siad to relate to the heart so excessive redness or dark spot could indicate an underlying heart issue
BLACK FUZZ
: the hairs on the tongue are harbouring bacteria. Increase oral hygiene levels but if it doesn’t clear it could be a sign of diabetes so check with GP.
RAISED LUMP: this is generally due to an enlarged taste bud or an ulcer. If it lasts longer than 3 weeks get it checked out.
TONGUE TRIVIA
* it is the strongest muscle in the body
* it’s the only muscle to be attached at one end
*heals faster than any other part of the body
* houses around 90% of your 10,000 taste buds
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